Opening with a stunning scene of desolate grandeur, The Red Suitcase by Fidel Devkota, transports us to a world where every frame communicates a heightened sense of human emotions and experiences. This Nepalese film, recently screened at the 80th Venice Film Festival, intertwines minimalism with intricacy, captivating its audience through a blend of profound thematic concerns and masterful cinematography.
The film is about a package coming from abroad and being driven by a pick-up truck driver to a far-flung mountain community over a two-day journey from the Kathmandu airport. There is also a red suitcase which must be delivered to a village located there.
Set against the backdrop of Nepal’s breathtaking landscapes, the film explores the pathos, resilience, and our interpersonal connections embedded in the transient human existence. Devkota’s astute direction and storytelling ability draw their strength from the surrounding natural elements to impart a timeless, universal appeal to a simple yet profound narrative.
Starting with the technical aspects, The Red Suitcase’s idyllic and sometimes wild scenic beauty is captured with a sense of aesthetics by its cinematography. The contrast in visuals is thematically apt, highlighting the dichotomy within human experiences. The sound design, too, enhances surreal moments with a subtle layer of atmospheric noises, thereby elevating the film’s emotional depth.
The Red Suitcase’s plot and characters are simple, yet deeply symbolic with significant reflections on life and human relationships. Throughout the narrative, the red suitcase becomes a representation of life’s weight, filled with perceptions, emotions, and experiences. A thick metaphorical strand frames the story as the unknown character transports this suitcase day in day out in the truck driver dream, filled with unseen treasures, symbolizing humans carrying their psychological baggage throughout their journey of life.
Devkota has carefully used “red”, a powerful colour signifying different emotions and ideas in various cultures. In the Nepalese context, red symbolizes celebration, purity, and auspiciousness while also representing fear, suffering, and change of seasons in life, especially emphasized by using it in film The duality of the red suitcase perfectly encapsulates the human experience, riddled with joy and suffering traversing through life’s seasons.
The “road” in the film has been shown as more than a pathway. It is the road of life itself. The road carries with its boundless opportunities, a myriad of experiences, and life-altering moments as the “driver” plays an instrumental role in navigating the journey, conventionally tasked with safe arrival at the destination. With carrying unknown box to deliver, we experience the uncertainty of the unique journey and the way we might pass through the meaning of birth, death, or annihilation.
Focusing on the narrative, Devkota allows the seemingly common struggles to speak volumes about universal issues like identity, migration and shifting social dynamics. It displays a spectrum of human emotions, from loss to hope, fear to courage, and vulnerability to resilience. The climax of the contradictory aspects of life is well shown in the dialogues between the truck driver and the army veteran who lives next to road to the remote village named “Beyul”.
From the myth of Eden, we hear from the radio to the red suitcase full of apples in the dream of the truck driver, the director flows us through “Nepal” – the land of pilgrims seeking for the forbidden fruit of knowledge. But Nepal is not that sacred land we expect to see. It is where young generations gone, and the bleak meadows have nothing to dedicate but absurdity.
In addition to highlighting the hardship and social costs of migration and remittances in contemporary Nepal, the film portrays the country’s growing political and economic uncertainty. “The story highlights how ‘cheap’ and ‘expendable’ the lives of migrant workers are, even as it resonates with the hopes, dreams and despair of millions of migrant workers and their families back home. On a very personal level, this film is my tribute to the world’s millions of migrant workers.” The director said.
However, it is Devkota’s mature handling of the subject that becomes the film’s soul. The narrative develops slowly, nurturing an atmosphere of suspense that keeps one gripped till the end. He masterfully employs silence as a narrative device, highlighting personal losses and the human capacity to endure against odds. Besides, the lead actor’s performance, played by “Saugat Malla” evokes a raw emotional intensity. His restrained acting, his silence and toughness, presenting a character that the audience can plausibly empathies with.
“The Red Suitcase” emanates a lingering effect through a deeply humane story, set within an enchanting visual spectacle. It becomes an artistic mirror that reflects our struggle, resilience, and hope in the face of life’s unpredictable journey.
It is a worthy contender in the competitive landscape of international cinema and a gem that must be considered at the 80th Venice Film Festival’s repertoire.
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